Japanese Culture News

The Foundation students had their first Japanese lesson this term, and I'm very proud of all the talking in Japanese they have done! We are confident greeting people and support our speaking with lots of gestures. We also have lots of fun developing our intercultural awareness by bowing when saying ありがとう (arigatou/thank you) and receiving our name tags with both hands at the start of each lesson.

The grade 1/2s made leaps and bounds in their speaking as they tackled a challenging script for a Japanese folktale called, Momotaro. I am proud of the students helped each other read the script and remember their lines. In the last week of term, we made dango, a food that appeared in the story. It was the first time many of them got to try the classic flavours of matcha and red bean paste.

The grade 3/4s learned their numbers up to 99 this term, and I have been impressed with how they are growing as role models for they younger year levels through the enthusiasm, perseverance and kindness they show everyday. We have been learning our numbers through activities where we use our critical thinking to solve puzzles and estimate the cost of food.

The students are always excited to learn about how Japanese people live, and I encourage them to watch some Japanese animated movies on SBS over the holidays. See you next term!